In ceramics, the firing of the glaze or clay body imparts the most notable visual characteristics to the ceramics piece—its color, and luster. These are characteristic of the type of atmosphere that the piece is treated in and the firing recipe used. (The parameters of time, temperature and oxygen levels.)
To make ceramic pieces with the identical visual characteristics requires the piece to undergo the identical atmospheric conditions within the kiln. Unfortunately, the kiln atmospheric conditions vary with current outside atmospheric conditions such as temperature, barometric pressure and dew point. It is also determined by the internal loading and stacking conditions of the objects to be fired. A skilled ceramist must alter the firing parameters of the kiln such as time, temperature and the oxygen-fuel ratio. This is accomplished by adjusting one or more of the following independently or simultaneously—outlet damper, inlet damper, gas pressure, gas flow and gas-oxygen inlet ratio. The problem is that without rapid feedback of the kiln's atmospheric conditions these adjustments are but a crude manner of achieving the proper reducing atmosphere. Often ceramists miss the mark.
Atmosphere monitoring and control devices for high temperature furnaces do exist, but they look at individual parameters, and their costs are prohibitive for the average amateur ceramist. To date there are electronic, computerized atmospheric data reporting systems with specifically designed instrument sensors for gas fired ceramic kilns that look at the requisite ceramic firing parameters and integrate these with the ceramist's recipe. But these are designed into the structure of the kiln by the manufacturer. The various sensors/probes utilized are extremely expensive, proprietary, and fixed in location.
Simply stated, there is no economical solution to date for the ceramist that does not want to spend tens of thousands of dollars. Economical retrofit systems just don't exist.
Thus, an affordable system that allows for the monitoring of the critical gas kiln's atmosphere parameters during the ceramics firing process would provide the ceramist with a plethora of data, allowing them the ability to more precisely and consistently control the firing process. Henceforth, an improved gas kiln atmospheric monitor that would fulfill a long felt need in the ceramics industry. This new invention utilizes and combines known and new technologies in a unique and novel configuration to overcome the aforementioned problems and accomplish this. Such a system is provided by the embodiments set forth below.